Samsara Vision Announces Two New Members of the Executive Team
Far Hills, NJ – (January 25, 2021) – Samsara Vision, a company focused on bringing vision and freedom back to late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients through advanced visual prosthetic devices, is pleased to announce two new members of the executive leadership team: Mike Besserman, Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, and Joshua Fox, Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
“Our talented team of experienced professionals are critical to the success of Samsara Vision. We’re thrilled to welcome both Mike and Josh to the organization. They both bring exceptional experience and enthusiasm, which will benefit us as we progress our mission to change the lives of late-stage AMD patients,” said Thomas Ruggia, Chief Executive Officer, Samsara Vision.
Mike Besserman brings to Samsara Vision 18 years of commercial, ophthalmology marketing and sales experience stemming from time at both Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Alcon Laboratories, where he specialized in the cataract, dry eye, glaucoma and retina space. He has built and led several teams as a U.S. commercial sales leader and spent over five years helping to build and grow a Key Account Management Team focused on the largest and most complex ophthalmology accounts in the U.S. in both marketing and director roles. Most recently, Mr. Besserman held roles in marketing and sales leadership for Novartis Retina, where he was part of the build and launch of the newest Anti-VEGF for wet age-related macular degeneration. Mr. Besserman earned his Bachelor of Arts in communication and marketing from Towson University.
Joshua Fox, JD, joins Samsara Vision as CFO after serving as a senior advisor to Montminy & Co. and, earlier, as managing director, head of real estate, lodging, and leisure investment banking at Stout. In addition, Mr. Fox brings nearly 25 years of diversified investment banking and legal experience, having advised public and privately held companies on a wide range of topics including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, financial restructuring, and strategic alternatives. He earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan and holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Fox is registered with FINRA and holds the Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.
About Late-Stage AMD
More than 15 million Americans are affected by some form of macular degeneration and approximately 2 million Americans have advanced forms of AMD with associated vision loss. The number of Americans afflicted with macular degeneration is expected to double with the rapid aging of the U.S. population. Late-stage AMD results in a loss of central or “straight-ahead” vision, creating a blind spot that is uncorrectable by glasses, drugs, injections or cataract surgery. This blind spot makes it difficult or impossible for patients to see faces, read, and perform everyday activities such as watching TV, preparing meals, and self-care. End-Stage AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.
About Samsara Vision
Samsara Vision is a privately held specialty medical device company engaged in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of proprietary implantable ophthalmic devices and technologies that are intended to significantly improve vision and quality of life for individuals with untreatable retinal disorders. We believe that rejuvenating eyesight revives the spirit, allowing people to reconnect to the things in life that they love to see and do. Our approach includes working collaboratively with health care providers, researchers, payers, and advocates to ensure that people living with deteriorating vision have access to our novel technologies and support paths thereby better ensuring a future where they can see anew. Learn more at https://www.samsaravision.com/
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements pursuant to U.S. Federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include those about the belief that the company’s name change better reflects Samsara’s patient centricity and focus and the belief that rejuvenating eyesight revives the spirit, allowing people to reconnect to the things in life that they love to see and do. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of Samsara only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: claims by other companies and persons regarding ownership over intellectual property; changes in technology and market requirements; Samsara may encounter delays or obstacles in launching and/or successfully completing its clinical trials; Samsara’s products may not be approved by regulatory agencies, Samsara’s technology may not be validated as it progresses further and its methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; Samsara may be unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of its products; unforeseen scientific difficulties may develop with Samsara’s process; Samsara’s products may wind up being more expensive than it anticipates; results in the laboratory may not translate to equally good results in real clinical settings; results of preclinical studies may not correlate with the results of human clinical trials; Samsara’s patents may not be sufficient; Samsara’s products may harm recipients; changes in legislation may adversely impact Samsara; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of Samsara to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Samsara undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Media Contact:
Jessica Daitch
Samsara Vision
917-816-6712
jessicadaitch@hotmail.com
Released February 3, 2021